25.03.09 :: Aurelie play live at the Brudenell Social Club

An Unorthodox 1-2 at Last FM

A full-length preview of An Unorthodox 1-2 is now available
at www.last.fm

Click here to listen to tracks from An Unorthodox 1-2

Or contact aurelie@aurelie.org.uk to order a copy of the CD in a limited edition,
hand-finished sleeve.
(Priced at £8 inc. P+P within the UK)

‘An Unorthodox 1-2’ combines field recordings, spoken word, and instrumental material to explore the aural environment of the ground from the physical sounds of the game to the emotional response of the crowd and the acoustics of the site. Inspired by his visits to the Holker Street ground, Glenn Boulter produced a series of texts that he later recorded with Barrow-based actor Damian Rose. Drawing on early radio dramas, these fragmentary monologues collage together adverts for defunct local businesses, found text from programmes and elements of local geography.



Edited and looped, the spoken texts form the starting point for three instrumental pieces, performed by Aurelie members Francis O’Donnell Smith (guitar, laptop, production), David Dhonau (cello, bass), Euan Roger (percussion, electronics) and Ola Szmidt (flute). Combined, the two elements attempt to capture the unique aura of match day in a Cumbrian town and to make explicit the idea of the game as a performance in its own right.

Aurelie / Mogwai Live at the Canteen 19/11/08

Amidst howling winds, fierce blizzards and malfunctioning fire alarms, Aurelie performed at the Canteen in Barrow-in-Furness last Saturday, completing a lineup that included Canadian ambient doom-metal duo Nadja, Manchester's Spokes and a DJ Set from Mogwai.

Above: Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and Barry Burns get their hands on Aurelie's recent Barrow AFC drone opera An Unorthodox 1-2 and artist John Hall's book, The Al Mobility Story. The Scottish band are no strangers to mixing art with football having contributed the soundtrack to video artist Douglas Gordon's Zidane: a 21st Century Portrait in 2006

[ [ nadjaluv.ca ] ]

Spokes
Mogwai.co.uk

BAFC Night at the Canteen Cinema Room 13/11/08

Work from the Barrow AFC Digital Residency received a second showing last Thursday at the Canteen Cinema Room on Barrow Island. The evening included presentations of research materials and documentation from throughout the project as well as film screenings, a 'Bluebirds' DJ set and live performances.

Francis O' Donnell Smith's video installation based around an interview with life-long BAFC fan Geoff Payne screened to a live accompaniment from Glenn Boulter, Damian Rose and project organiser John Hall that reworked material from the spoken word and music piece An Unorthodox 1-2. This was followed by a live set of Bluebirds inspired music and video projections from Damian performing as Mondo Bongo. Each set was interspersed with scenes from two silent films from 1920's Germany (both amongst the first football feature films ever produced).

Tracks from the Bluebirds DJ set:
Jandek - Blue Blue World
Sun City Girls - Blue Mambo
Captain Beefheart - Dirty Blue Gene
Cocteau Twins - Bluebell Knoll
Gastr Del Sol - Blues Subtitled 'No Sense of Wonder'
Mayo Thompson - Good Brisk Blues
Neil Young - Birds / Danger Bird
Diamanda Galas - Birds of Death
Smog - Blood Red Bird
Public Image - No Birds
The Residents - Birds in the Trees

Aurelie Live at the Gateway

Francis O Donnell Smith, Dave Dhonau and Euan Rodger perform live at Leicester Gateway as part of the Arena Contemporaary Art Festival, 25/11/08.

Aurelie at the Norwich Festival of Literature

Dave Dhonau and Ola Szmidt perform with poet Lydia Towsey in Norwich 24/11/08.

Aurelie Live at Barrow AFC

Aurelie performed live at Barrow AFC on Friday 17th October as part of an exhibition presenting work from their residency at the club.



On display were selections from Francis' video installation Unbridled, prints, hand-packaged Unorthodox 1-2 CD's, tracks made by Glenn with local schools using graphic notation and project organiser John Hall's edition of books charting the career of fictional Barrow player Al Mobility.



The live section of the event consisted of a talk by Francis and Glenn about their work, followed by a live performance of Unorthodox 1-2. This used a series of recorded texts as a starting point from which to improvise a series of drones based around the notes BAFC.



Differing considerably from the recorded version, the set featured Dave Dhonau on samples, thumb piano, radios and drum machine, Francis on laptop, guitar and effects and Glenn on prepared guitar.

Look out for further posts on how to order the CD and upcoming performances.



Shiny: Aurelie in BAFC mode (clockwise from top left), Actor Damian Rose, Francis O'Donnell Smith, David Dhonau, Glenn Boulter.

Tent Show

Tracks by Aurelie were featured during September in an open air sound installation at the Heron corn Mill in Beetham, Cumbria. Curated by Cumbrian artist and musician John Hall, the piece also featured sounds made by children from Storth School and John Ruskin School as well as a track from mysterious Leeds-based group, the Wendigos.

An Unorthodox 1-2

During August and September, Aurelie spent time recording and editing the raw material for their Barrow AFC sound piece. The piece combines elements of spoken word, music and field recordings and is intended to be performed live, broadcast via radio and to exist as an edition of CD's. (See the project blog at: barrowafcdigital.blogspot.com for full details)

The script, written by Glenn, consists of three parts describing
a) a walk across Barrow to Holker St. stadium,
b) the atmosphere of the crowd during a match and
c) the experience of hearing the match in a domestic environment via radio. The script was then recorded with local actor, musician and Barrow supporter, Damian Rose.

Following this, the recordings were broken up into individual sentences, looped and processed to determine the rhythm and tone of three instrumental compositions. These were composed and recorded by Francis in collaboration with David Dhonau (cello and bass) and Ola Szmidt (flute). The three pieces of music, varying in tone from steadily building drones to minimalist cello melodies, were then edited together with the spoken word sections and sounds from a bank of recordings made at the ground to form the final recording.

Keep an eye on the blog for details of how to order the CD, as well as documentation of a live performance that took place at Holker St. during October. Further performances of the piece are planned, the first of which will take place at the Canteen Arts Media and Arts Centre in Barrow on Thursday 13th November.

is Mr Boulter aware of this?

?

a different Barrow I think. Glenn especially, this is a reasonably good resource:

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23858120583#/group.php?gid=23858120583

Welcome to the Cheap Seats

Barrovian music-lovers were treated to a sneak preview of Aurelie's forthcoming football drone opera An Unorthodox 1-2 this Sunday at the annual Barrow Live festival. Adverts for defunct local businesses and bits of feedback drifted seagull-like from the precariously positioned 'acoustic kiosk' towards a largely unmoved crowd.

However, the set was curtailed shortly after the twelve minute mark when it was announced that the Wonder Stuff were ready to launch into their ubiquitous bovine anthem. Other festival highlights included a water-free hook-a-duck stall and a Herzog doppelganger disguised as a St John's ambulance volunteer.

3 Vs. 15

Aurelie at the Phoenix on July 25th 08.
Players.
Francis O Donnell Smith (Piano - bowed and processed guitar - electronics - vox)
David Dhonau (Cello: Live looping - bass guitar - gameboy electronics)
Ola Szmidt (Masterful flute playing - vox)
Glenn Boulter (Sadly missed)
Euan Rodger (Sadly missed)

Images: Matthew Everatt

Aurelie/ Live at Phoenix Arts 25/07/08

A U R E L I E - Silence is twice as fast backwards

Aurelie: Live at Phoenix Arts 09_05_08




Let’s make up for your wasted life.
I’ll gladly play the role of Mephistopheles tonight.
A virtuous one, who demands no payment.
We even have a black dog.
Show us the way.

Images: Ola Szmidt (With thanks)